Attending: Whalen, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, Zollo
Missing: Mason, McGann
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS – Putnam Investments
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
"nothing in here is frivolous"
Town Council will consider spending just over $1 million from free cash on capital items at tonight's meeting.
The 2009 capital plan came before the council a month ago, but councilors delayed making a decision until the winter and its costly snowstorms were finished.
Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting and Councilor Judith Pond Pfeffer, who is on the Capital Planning Improvement Subcommittee, say now is the time to approve the $1,074,600 plan.
"The Capital Improvement Subcommittee blessed it, the Finance Committee blessed it...At this point, I think we should approve the capital items and focus on the 2010 budget," Nutting said.
Read the full article about the decision on the agenda tonight to approve the capital plan in the Milford Daily News here.
Note: The capital dollars can not be used for operational expenses. Using these dollars for these items is in the Town's best interest to continue their sound fiscal management practices.
"isn't it time we came out of the basement and into the light"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
In the past month, Franklin Food Pantry directors have been flooded with offers of help from the public to keep the pantry in town, pantry Executive Linda Pouliot said yesterday.
After learning the food pantry, located in the basement of the new town museum, will be displaced to make way for museum storage, private residents and business owners have offered space in their properties, two realty companies are searching among their vacant properties, and others said they're on the lookout for a home, Pouliot said, a big smile on her face.
Nothing is solid at the moment, Pouliot said, but she said she is optimistic about getting a new home in town because she is confident in people's generosity.
Read the full article about the Franklin Food Pantry in the Milford Daily News here
State Education Mandates - Part 11
From time to time, particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. This is Part 11 and the final entry in the series.
Unexpended Education FundsThe full listing is available here (DOC)
Massachusetts local school districts are required, unlike as in many other states, to return, at the termination of each fiscal year, unexpended/unencumbered funds to the municipality’s general fund. This requirement is counter to stimulating incentives for school districts to find creative ways to generate savings throughout the fiscal year. Municipalities often conclude that funds, which are returned at the end of the fiscal year, is misinterpreted as evidence that the school district did not really need said funds. School districts are not permitted to establish rainy day funds.
Technology
Each year, the district must have a technology plan. An annual report must be sent to the state indicating how the district is using technology to teach, how much is being spent and what the district plans to spend in the future. There are technology benchmarks that must be met by students at each grade and all students must meet state-defined technology proficiency by the end of grade 8. The development of technology plans (incorporating professional, administrative, and community personnel), the recommended student to technology (computer) ratio, and the ratio of technology personnel recommended for districts, directly affect school budget development.
Building Maintenance
Districts have a requirement to spend a minimum amount to maintain buildings and are required to pay “union scale” otherwise know as “prevailing wage,” on projects for repairs and maintenance when done by an outside contractor. This mandate results in higher costs for many skilled trade services.
The following is a list of annual inspections and tests required by the state for maintenance of buildings:
• boiler inspections;
• air tank inspections;
• fire alarm tests;
• fire suppression tests (kitchens);
• fire extinguisher tests;
• elevator & chair lift inspections;
• under-ground tank inspections/replacements,
• drainage back-flow controls,
• stage rigging inspections;
• Integrated Pest Management Plans (use of pesticides) including community notifications;
• fire sprinkler tests; and
• Asbestos inspections.
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Saturday April 18th, 2009
Beaver Pond
Starts at 9:00 AM
Volunteer to clean up targeted areas and assist with planting flowers and shrubs around Franklin.
- Please bring your own water bottle.
- Please bring your own gloves and rakes.
- Community service certificates will be issued.
- T-shirts to the first 200 volunteers.
- Clean up goes to 1:00 PM
Get some Eco-Info at Beaver Pond:
- Water conservation kits and rain barrel display.
- Mercury thermometer exchange for digital thermometers.
- Recycling tips and composting information.
- Energy conservation tips.
- Much more ! ! !
You can register on the Town website here
"the potential of these tools is pretty visionary"
What’s most compelling to me here is not necessarily the tool set, however, as much as the vision that brought this to fruition. While most all of this work is done locally on an internal network, the concepts are preparing kids at Concord for the very global network they’ll inhabit once they leave the system. And here is the best part: Concord is a special needs school, a place where kids with all sorts of disabilities attend. The work that these kids do in these contexts is very rewarding on a number of levels.
The larger point here is that this isn’t too far out of the reach of most schools provided they have the courage and the leadership to make it happen. Aside from the photo-sharing tool, the rest is freely available. There’s nothing really too difficult about it aside, perhaps, from creating good teaching around the tools. Makes you wonder what so many other schools are waiting for.
Read the full article by Wil Richardson and find out more about Concord, a school in Australia.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
remember the Harlem Wizards?
Do you remember the Harlem Wizards?
They did come to Franklin a couple of weeks ago.
Want to review some video highlights?
Click to play to enjoy!
The photo slide show of the visit can be found here
They did come to Franklin a couple of weeks ago.
Want to review some video highlights?
Click to play to enjoy!
The photo slide show of the visit can be found here
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